Ashes, Ashes
by Rosie King
Summary: Serena begins having nightmares about the death of a little girl and begins to investigate. Soon her searching will open a vipers den of mistrust and suspicion, to the point of isolating herself from the only people who can protect her.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon or any of it's affiliated characters. Anyone you don't recognize is mine.

**Author's Note:** Just a little idea I had at 2:28 a.m. No flames, only constructive criticism.

'_Ring around the rosy'_

Serena tossed her head from side to side as she slept fitfully.

'_Pocket full of posies'_

Six little girls dancing in a circle chanting a song.

'Ashes, ashes' 

The circle coming apart, their hands separating.

'We all fall down' 

The girls falling to the ground and jumping up, giggling happily. All except one.

"We're just standing there, watching her. She's bleeding and we're not doing a thing to help her." Serena lay on a couch in her therapist's office, staring at a painting of the seashore that hung on the wall. "None of us are doing a thing to help her." Dr. Amy Anderson leaned back in her chair.

"Serena, what you're describing sounds like repressed memories. Did you have any childhood friends who died in an accident?" Serena thought for moment.

"No. None that I can remember." She sat up and turned to look at Amy. "I don't remember a lot about my childhood, but I think I would remember something like this." Amy was watching her intently.

"When you have a traumatic experience, it's not uncommon for the mind to block it out this way. Why don't you call your parents? They're back from Europe, aren't they?" Serena shook her head.

"No, they wanted to be in Paris for the spring season," she replied bitterly.

A buzzer sounded and Amy looked up from her notes. "That's all the time we have. I'll see you Friday?" Serena nodded and stood up stretching slightly, the movement bringing her shirt up to reveal her waistline and a small puckered scar.

"Where did you get that scar?" Amy asked. "It looks like a burn." Serena glanced away, embarrassed. "I don't remember." She walked by Andrea, Amy's secretary.

"Check or cash?" she asked coldly. Serena sighed. "Check." When she was done paying she walked to the small bakery on the corner and ordered her usual, a blueberry muffin and an iced mocha with extra whipped crème.

"Rough day?" The owner a small, wrinkled woman asked. "You would not believe," she replied, giving her some cash. "I didn't get any sleep last night." Irma, the owner nodded. "Well, don't stay up too late tonight, then." She handed Serena her change and her bag and watched her walk away with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, don't worry," she said softly. "Soon it will all be over."


	2. Chapter Two

AN: I don't own Sailor Moon, but I do own the plot and the words are all mine, too. Thanks for the great reviews!

'_Serena,' _the little girl said, staring at her through milky white eyes.

'_Serena, let's play hide and seek.'_ The scene changed from a beautiful meadow to a pit of mud.

'_Find me, Serena,'_ the little girl said, vanishing into the mud. Serena knelt and began to frantically dig through it, seeking something. She woke with a start, her fiancée sitting on the side of the bed, wiping her forehead with a cool cloth.

"You gave me quite the scare, sweetie," he said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. She sat up, shivering uncontrollably.

"Darien, make me warm again," she said, leaning into him. Darien gathered her into his arms and ran his hands up and down on her back. He pulled the blanket up around them and made soothing sounds.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head and snuggled deeper into the blankets. The cold seemed to emanate from her very soul. She continued to quake well into the night and Darien, for the first time since he had met her, felt helpless to do anything.

The next morning he kissed her softly and asked if she would be okay if he left. She said yes and watched him go with loving eyes. She threw the covers off and was headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee when the blinking light on the answering machine caught her attention. She pressed the button and waited.

"Serena," a mocking voice said and she froze midway into pouring herself a cup. "Serena, are you there, Starshine?" the person asked, referring to a childhood nickname she had long forgotten.

She lunged for the cord and ripped it from the wall as she hyperventilated. She remembered that voice. She couldn't place it, the memories were so foggy, but she knew that voice.

It was the voice of a killer.

Serena found herself walking down the street glaring suspiciously at everyone. For all she knew it could be anyone. A hand came down heavily on her shoulder and she bit her lip hard to muffle a scream.

"You okay?" She turned and glared at the tall blonde man behind her. "Damn it, Andrew," she said, dabbing at her lip with a hankie. "I cut my lip." His lips curled in a sneer. "You're jumpier than usual today."

She rolled her shoulders and took a seat at the counter. "I didn't sleep well last night," she admitted with a rueful sigh. He leaned on the counter and gently hit her with a rag.

"Braggart. Just because your getting some, doesn't mean the rest of us want to hear about it," he replied in a playful tone. She shook her head.

"It isn't that. I've been having some really bad nightmares the last few days. Amy says they're repressed memories, so now I have to contact my parents."

Andrew grimaced. "That bad, huh? What are the nightmares about?" She started to reply, but his attention had already been diverted. She turned to see what made his mouth drop open in shock and laughed.

"Go talk to her already." She playfully punched his shoulder. "Rita likes you a lot, you know." His eyes brightened. "Really?" she nodded and watched him walk hesitantly over to take her order.

She turned back to the counter and rested her head on her hands. She was tired. So tired…


End file.
